Well after waiting 3 months for a slot I had my peer review yesterday panel of 3 women which was good to see I think I did okay, presentation went well and i didn't disgrace myself on the questions for those waiting they really do try to put you at ease and it isn't an interrogation! Biggest tip i can give - say "I" not "we" I thought the questions were a fair reflection of what they were trying to establish now for the long wait - wish me luck!

Best wishes to both of you. I had a colleague who regularly sat on these panels (also female). The process is not there to catch you out and the reviewers are on your side!

saying "we" shows you are a team player

Maybe a smiley was needed

Despite your fears, we are generally a nice bunch of normal people and will try to make the process as painless as possible for you! Most people on the panel have been through the process themselves and know what it's like, so should be sensitive to the fact that you may well be nervous. Try to relax and enjoy yourself - I bet it's not often that you get to tell everyone how good you are for a whole hour. And yes, using 'I' is vital - it IS all about you, after all :-). You can talk about team projects, but within that context we would want to know what YOUR role was. Stu (peer review chair, not female :-) )

It's not that long ago that I finished examining an entire set of final year research honours degree students. That' quite a task, but in the main is quite enjoyable. It IS a discussion, though a somewhat one-sided one. I offer students a practice session, and for many of them it helps get over their initial trepidation. If you can, get a colleague to put you through the 'inquisition'. Give full answers, and chat! Don't dive short staccato answers then panic at what seems like an eternity of silence. Keep going, but listen to yourself and know when to drift toward another related area where you have something useful to say. That is far better that saying too much about a topic of which you know little and then realise that you're talking rubbish. Be prepared to say I don't know. Most of my students come in shaking and go out with a smile because it isn't as bad as them imagine. And neither should it be. Expect, and I'm sure its true for any properly structured viva including those which as not part of an academic course of study, some quite specific techy questions. Take those, give an answer then run with the topic to 'add value' to your answer. Other questions or statements on which you might be invited to comment will be far more general or conceptual. Say what you think not just what you expect is required of you, especially when you are unsure, since that would be a good way of digging yourself into a hole. Be prepared for follow-up questions to challenge your comments - if managed properly its just like any other discussion and if you perform well you will be far more in charge of that conversation than you might imagine. Most university students come out wondering if they missed something important or said the wrong thing. Personally, I could never be bothered with a post-exam post mortem with my fellow students but some do. The most common comment is how quickly it went. Just sit back and look forward to some hopefully good news

I had my interview last week of June, and have been recommended for CMIOSH. Throughout the process the panel reminded me to discuss what I had done, this help prevent you straying of the path. You can talk about team work, for they are interested in which part you played.

Congratulations to you all!